IT IS EASIER TO SPEAK IN THE CORRIDOR

A1+
[05:58 pm] 13 April, 2006

The club of young political figures is going to organize a protest
in front of the RF Embassy against the Russian policy towards the
RA. But so far they won’t do it as according to the Club Chairman
Arman Vardanyan “we don’t want to play into the hands of people who
arouse false hysteria against Russia.”

“Just imagine whenever the RA speaks of its interests they qualify it
as anti – Russian hysteria,” mentioned the NA Deputy Arshak Sadoyan
in his speech. The latter was also astonished why we shouldn’t arouse
hysteria if “as a result of Russian position Nakhidjevan and Kharabakh
were given to Azerbaijan, and Ghars and Ardahan – to Turkey.” “You
get off the point,” the organizers reminded Arshak Sadoyan who didn’t
agree with them. Today the young political figures gathered a number of
elderly and sophisticated political figures to comment on the details
of the Hrazdan 5th energy block and Iran – Armenia gas main sales.

Nothing new was said at the meeting; the participants merely repeated
the ideas of April 6 said after the treaty between “GasProm” and the
RA Government.

“This deal has no economic grounds, it was aimed at making Armenia
dependent of its elder brother from the point of view of energy,”
said the economist Edward Aghadjanov. He thinks that Armenia had
an alternative in case “the elder brother didn’t give gas” but we
didn’t use it. The alternative was to remain the owner of the Iran –
Armenia gas main, as a result of which Armenia would also become a
transit country for exporting Persian gas to Europe. According to him
Armenia lost most of its shares of the company “ArmRusGasArd” and the
right on veto and thus can do nothing in case the company activities
contradict our interests. “The Persian gas will not penetrate to
Europe if Russia doesn’t want it,” said the member of the Republican
Party Armen Ashotyan and added, “How can Armenia take Persian gas to
Europe if the Ukraine gas main belongs to “GasProm?”

He thinks that energy dependence does not mean a full dependence
from Russia, as Germany, Austria and Finland also get their gas from
Russia. A serious dispute began between Ashotyan and Aghadjanov when
Ashotyan informed that “he is aware of Aghadjanov’s dream land” and
ended his speech with the following words, “The sun is not guilty
when its light is neglected.” By the way, the dispute took place in
the corridor where the 2 continued their “discussion.”